Marion man accused in February crash now faces indecent contact with children charges

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Marion man, who “intentionally” crashed into a vehicle, injuring a driver that prematurely ended her pregnancy, has been charged with exposing himself to one child and having inappropriate contact with another.

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Trenton Eiben, 42, was charged last week with indecent contact with a child, an aggravated misdemeanor, and indecent exposure — exposed self, a serious misdemeanor. He is accused of incidents involving two children between July 16, 2018 and July 13, 2020.

One child told a forensic interviewer at the UnityPoint-St. Luke’s Child Protection Center that Eiben forced her to touch him when she was 5 years old between July 16, 2018 and June 15, 2019, according to a criminal complaint.

Another child told an interviewer Eiben exposed himself to her during the 2018-2020 time frame, the complaint stated.

According to court documents, Eiben had been talking with a Cedar Rapids police investigator before the crash on Feb. 26. After leaving the police department, he called his wife to say he loved her before driving up to 100 mph down First Avenue E in Cedar Rapids.

Eiben was eastbound down the center turn lane when witnesses told police he crashed his Pontiac Sunfire into a Chevrolet Traverse, driven by Merylin Louise Bowden, 39, of Cedar Rapids, who was traveling west in the 1300 block of First Avenue E.

According to the criminal complaint in the crash, Eiben’s Sunfire hit the Traverse in the front driver’s side and quarter panel area. Witnesses described to police Eiben’s driving as “intentional and making no attempt to avoid collision.” They said Eiben had an open lane to the front and right of him, but instead drove into the westbound lanes, striking the Traverse.

Both Eiben and Bowden, who was 18 weeks pregnant, were injured and had to be extricated from their vehicles and taken to hospitals, according to the criminal complaint.

Bowden’s pregnancy was prematurely terminated as a result of her injuries, which also included a broken pelvic bone, broken ribs, vertebra fractures and other fractures related to the spine, the complaint stated.

Video surveillance, scene and accident reconstruction, and witnesses confirmed Eiben was speeding in the middle lane and had just driven through a red light at 10th Street and First Avenue E moments before he crossed into the westbound lane and crashed into Bowden’s vehicle, according to the complaint.

Eiben was traveling between 84 and 89 mph in the last five seconds before impact without braking, according to the complaint. Bowden’s vehicle was going between 4 and 12 mph within 8 seconds before impact.

Eiben was charged in April with nonconsensual termination of a pregnancy during a forcible felony, willful injury resulting in serious injury, and serious injury by motor vehicle-reckless driving.

If convicted of the crash related charges, Eiben faces up to 40 years in prison. If convicted of the other charges, he faces up to three years in prison.

Eiben remains in the Linn County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bail and another bail of $4,000 in the indecent contact case.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com